October 17, 1989, at 5:04 PM, the San Francisco Bay Area experienced the devastating effects of the Loma Prieta Earthquake. After feeling helpless in the hours and days that followed, many residents realized they were not prepared; they did not have basic survival skills. Residents contacted the San Francisco Fire Department and asked for help, and NERT was born Neighborhood Emergency Response Team. Thirty-three years and more than 35,000 trained residents later, NERT still offers hands-on disaster response skills training for FREE to those living and working in San Francisco.
Teams gather after a disaster to survey their neighborhoods, provide information to the SFFD, conduct light search and rescue and medical triage, and help transport victims to medical treatment facilities. NERT has held annual Citywide drills since 1992.
More information on upcoming training can be found on the NERT website, www.sfgov.org/sfnert, or by calling 415-970-2022.